The college football regular season is nearing its end, with only a few weeks left before the conference title games. It’s been a strange, entertaining season: teams keep moving around the Top 25, and even the top spot doesn’t feel entirely settled. Texas and LSU are still trying to find their footing, and they meet tonight.
Texas enters at 7-2. The Longhorns have been frustrating to watch because there isn’t an obvious weakness on paper, yet they haven’t consistently put it all together. Maybe the schedule has taken a toll; maybe it’s something else. They have the talent to contend for a national title, but missing the playoff wouldn’t be a huge surprise, either.
Arch Manning arrived with plenty of attention and talk of becoming the top pick in next summer’s NFL Draft. So far, his season has been fairly ordinary. He has completed about 66% of his passes for a little over 2,000 yards, with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Some of the passes that weren’t picked off could easily have been, too. Against ranked opponents, he is 83-for-124 for 905 yards, with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
LSU is 6-3 in Lane Kiffin’s first season with the team. He inherited a strong roster, but it may take time for his recruiting to make a real difference. It’s probably too soon to judge the move fully. The Tigers still have a slim playoff chance, though a loss tonight would end it.
Sam Leavitt leads LSU at quarterback and has had a respectable season. He has completed 71% of his passes for around 2,500 yards, with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Jackson Harris has been his most productive target, recording 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. In a way, it’s hard to imagine either team changing dramatically if Leavitt and Manning swapped places.
This looks like one of the more compelling games on the schedule, with the loser likely to be out of playoff contention. Texas has losses to Florida and Oklahoma, which would make a playoff case difficult, even with some strong wins. Its victory over Ohio State also looks less impressive now. LSU, meanwhile, has lost to Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama.
Both teams have had their problems, and playing at LSU is no easy assignment. Still, Texas being a 3.5-point underdog seems like a bit much. I’ve backed the Longhorns too often this season and come away disappointed, so I’m hesitant to make that call again. The total, though, has fallen from 54.5 to 46.5, and that may be an overcorrection. I’ll take the over.
